[captrat]

After another great ISW I have invited friends for Smackdown. They have their tickets and plan on bringing their RV. Now some comments derived from this year's ISW as to how to get them to come back for more-

1. Please have an adequate PA System. Terre Haute terrible, Kokomo needs improvement, most others fine. To us who are dyed in the wool fans this may not seem important, but to a new fan it is critical they be informed and entertained as to driver name, program format, etc.

2. Start on time, be prepared to adjust program if weather threatens.

3. Track prep was great at every ISW facility, yes Terre Haute has room for improvement. Heavy is best, dust a downer.

4. Fans, please use seat saving in a considerate way. If you have saved enough room for 10 people and only 4 show up, remove your tape, blanket, etc. so others may utilize the space. They also paid admission.

5. Continue to upgrade rest room facilities. This is often a new fan killer.

6. Provide out of car driver intros. on track for feature event. (Weather and time permitting)

7. Announcers hype the driver bio, and play by play the race over the PA.

Going to try leave all the rain in Florida before heading for another great Smackdown!

[Wingman]

Get rid of the seat saving all together. Go to the reserved seating like TSS and Eldora. If I was a new fan and had to sit low and have dirt clods in my face. Probably not coming back. How does a new fan know that he has to be at the track 8 hours in advance to get a good seat?

[Spi-nex]

Originally Posted by captrat 7. Announcers hype the driver bio, and play by play the race over the PA.

Not sure I agree with the play by play while under green. I know I sure as heck can't make out anything the announcer is saying when there is 20 sprinters zinging around at full song.

[Flatrightrear]

Why do the play-by-play over the sound system when the races are running? You can't understand a word being said, you just hear the screaming.

[FrankR63]

No Seat Saving of any kind at any time. List a gates open time, stick to it. Reserved seating is prevalent in every type of event, have that and a good bit of general admission. Seat saving kills it for many, many first timers and even for some that have the racing sickness. Promoters that allow this have no clue how much damage and ill will this causes, most unfortunately don’t care.

Inform the poor first timer sitting in the first few rows that they are about to be annihilated. Use signage and announcing, a track person walking the grandstands talking to people, informing them. Should always have some representative in sight of the fans. This person should NOT be Uncle Charlie but someone with some people skills that enjoys what they do. Teenage kids, from the pits or track would be good for this. Let them in free for this. Track shirt, nice pants, you know, what anyone in their right mind would wear – presenting a friendly face of the operation. Think about it!

Rope off a part of the pits, park 10 cars and have ALL the drivers there for 1 hour. Advertise this. School the drivers on treating kid’s right. Give out some shirts, hero cars and other crap. Have some pop to hand out. Stickers. Mandatory or you go back 4 rows.

Announcers. For god’s sake shut up during the racing. Give good solid info before the green. Follow up with finishing order and any pertinent info. Explain hot laps, qualifying, heat races, line ups and so on right before that particular deal hits the track – before the engines fire. People in the stands do not need nonstop ear splitting blather; give it a rest at times. If you going to play some music, keep that to a level that people do not have to shout over it. The announcer and sound system can make or break it for a new fan and has chased off many potential fans.

Spin outs, stopping on the track, wrecks, running in the track. All this has to be done with some sense of urgency yet over and over it is not. You must keep the show going.

Do as much as possible for the kids in attendance. Make them feel a part of it and make them want to come back. Something needs to be done to allow access to the racers and cars after the event. This goes all the way to running a quick show and making team participation mandatory.

I fully realize what these track owners and promoters are up against. W/O these hard working risk takers were all in trouble. However, I feel that the fact that there may be new fans, fans with kids and such sitting in the stands is lost on the track personnel. This should be in the front of the mind not the back.

Scan the grandstands, lots of gray hair. We need new blood in this thing and we need it now. Much of how we are going to do that starts with the basics.

[mc/rider]

Originally Posted by Wingman Get rid of the seat saving all together. Go to the reserved seating like TSS and Eldora. If I was a new fan and had to sit low and have dirt clods in my face. Probably not coming back. How does a new fan know that he has to be at the track 8 hours in advance to get a good seat?

The fan arriving at 3 or 4 and purchasing their ticket should be seated until the program starts?

[Can26]

Don't run 7 classes! 3 at the most. Get them in, put on a great show. Let them go home happy! At a good time!

[Chris Nunn]

Announcers view here, I do the play by play because there are video crews filming the races and those who listen on the FM transmitters can listen in as well. I tried to make the event at Bloomington as interactive as possible with all of the trivia before the races and with all the giveaways. It's always good to interact with the fans. I just wish I got to do it a little more during the show. Everything is always a work in progress.

[Longtime sprinter]

I have to agree, a good P.A. And good announcer makes the whole night more enjoyable. Note to L.Burg announcer. You need to stop screaming the drivers names for the line-ups, as the green flag drops. WE CAN'T HEAR YOU! Also it is very interesting if the announcer can relay a little behind the scenes info on the drivers and teams. We want you to know more about them than we do. Help entertain us, during track prep, or down time. Also, if you want new fans to come back, it has to move along without too much down time. There needs to be something to do during track prep, etc. a interview with a retired driver, like a Butch Wilkerson, with some stories and racing history helps pass the time. Promotors need to promote their product for the whole time we are there.

[Stevensville Mike]

Announcers.... yeah.... LOTS of work to be done there. One of my pet peeves for YEARS.

Tell the fans before hand how many cars advance out of the heats, how many go to the redraw, and who is in what car PRIOR to cars taking to the track. Nothing like trying to hear an announcer spending 1-1.5 minutes telling who the sponsors are, the car number, etc., and THEN who the driver is as someone gasses it on the front stretch and drowns out the most important part.

Look at the field if they are on the track for crying out loud and don't even BOTHER to speak if the field is gassing it to catch the pace car/truck. If someone gasses it while you are speaking, REPEAT what you just said.

Here is a good learning tool: Sit about 4-5 rows below the booth and announce - in the stands. Now.... see if YOU can hear yourself when you speak.

You think this would be easy.... but it goes on and on, race after race, at track after track. I could do it EASILY myself if I had the time to announce.

Here is another tidbit that helps: Lineup sheets. Send a few 50/50 girls out pre race and pass them out, charge a buck.... whatever. Bring THOSE to the fans. With transfer spot numbers, etc. It does not take long to type them up, make copies, and go.

With all of that, you have captured the attention of all new fans and they do not have to look around confused as to what is going on in the heats.